​98% of individuals reported a reduction in pain after pain reprocessing therapy!


According to research, Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy is MORE effective than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in reducing pain.



 

There are two core or fundamental principles of EAET, which guide almost all of the technical interventions that will be used during group:

1. You as the client will learn that your chronic primary pain and many other somatic symptoms are primarily generated, exacerbated, and/or maintained by brain-based, fearful beliefs or “predictions” of danger, rather than peripheral or structural problems. Furthermore, symptom reduction can occur by creating “brain-changing” experiences that reduce these fears or change the “predictions” of danger.

2. You as the client will engage in experiences that reduce your fear and predictions of danger of bodily experiences as well as broader fears of emotional and interpersonal experiences. There are a host of techniques that can be used to accomplish this fear reduction, all of which involve directly engaging with feared and avoided experiences to learn that fearful avoidance is not needed, and that empowered, connected, and adaptive emotions, actions, and relationships are possible. Reductions in fear and changed beliefs about safety—of body and of self—lead to reduced pain and other somatic symptoms.

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 These 5 goals will be facilitated within each weekly group.

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(1) Make the unaware, aware

• Pay attention to both your internal and interpersonal experiences, especially as they relate to physical sensations and emotions

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(2) Make the unexperienced, experienced

• Activate your emotions so that you have vivid images in your mind and physiological sensations accompanying them

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(3) Make the unwritten, written; or the unspoken, spoken

• Write about or talk about these experience and feelings—in expressive writing, verbal disclosure while alone, or with others such as a therapist

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(4) Make the unexpressed, expressed

• Engage both the body and voice to express genuinely and fully the feelings and wishes that are typically avoided. This can be done to an image / memory of the other person, using an empty chair, or in a role-play.

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(5) Make the uncommunicated, communicated

• Be genuine and direct in actual relationships, communicating in a healthy, thoughtful way, one’s agency and connecting feelings in order to repair, reconcile, or re-orient relationships.

 

 

Together we will supportively but courageously move you as the client toward what makes you anxious / uncomfortable, because growth / change rarely happens without some anxiety or discomfort.

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This group may be beneficial to you if:

 

You have GI pain- crohns disease, celiac, ibs, ibd, SIBO, gastritis, or from an unknown cause.

You are open and ready to explore your current pain

You are highly motivated to learn how to reduce your pain

You are tired of sitting in the pain and ready for relief

 

Am I a good candidate?

 

Does your pain shift in intensity and location? 

Have you have had pain longer than 4 months?

Have you been diagnosed with multiple unexplained chronic conditions?

Have you tried surgeries, medications, and treatments with little relief?

Did a significant life event/trauma happen around the time the pain started?

Does your pain intensify with strong emotions?

 

Often, individuals suffering with chronic pain develop conditioned responses to the pain, EAET and PRT can help break this cycle.

 

Lets set up a chat virtually or over the phone to determine if you are a good fit.  

Self schedule a virtual consult here:                                    

 

 

 

Please be sure to select the SOOTHE group consult option.

 

During our consult, I will answer any questions you may have, and we will go through an in depth pain assessment to determine if you are a good fit for the 8 week group. 

 

 

What is the cost of investment?

 

We are offering an introductory cost of 350 dollars. 

*50% due at time of time of booking, the remaining 50% will be due the first day of the group.

or 45 dollars per each week of group.

 

This includes a workbook, which includes additional information and exercises; including  somatic practices and  meditations.

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Learn more through research on EAET:

 

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Learn more through research on PRT:

 

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Join me for 8 weeks to connect the mind and body to reduce pain and promote healing from GI discomfort. 

Thursday October 17th - Thursday December 12th 2024

*Thursday November 28th- no group*

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Session 1: Pain Assessment and Presentation of Brain-Alarm Model of Chronic Pain

Develop rapport, assess pain to determine how much of pain is primary / brain-based, present new model of pain along with several exercises for demonstration and initial non- fear-based treatment purposes.

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Session 2: Life stress and Emotions as Drivers of Pain

Review new model and patient’s response to it, use healthy self-statements, encourage increased activity with less fear, engage patient in disclosure of life stressors, link stress to emotions and chronic pain.

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Session 3: Linking Core Emotional Needs and Defenses to Pain

Develop patient awareness of core emotional / relational patterns, avoidances, and pain. Learn about and practice expressing agentic emotions, especially anger, and connecting emotions. Discuss two maladaptive beliefs.

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Session 4: Experiencing, Expressing, and Releasing (1)

Conduct EER work with a current, challenging relationship, which often involves mild anger and healthy assertion. Explore and discuss guilt, especially maladaptive or unhealthy guilt.

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Session 5: Experiencing, Expressing, and Releasing (2)

Continue EER, this time to a past difficult relationship. Explore and elicit secrets. Discuss shame.

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Session 6: Experiencing, Expressing, and Releasing (3)

Continue to process earlier experiences and moving to changes in relationships. Explore forgiveness/letting go and positive/intimate relationships, including sexuality.

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Session 7: Healthy Communication in Relationships

Focus on healthy communication in current relationships. Examine the expression of gratitude.

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Session 8: Becoming a New Person, Planning for the Future, and Termination

Examine changes made, barriers to change, and becoming a different person. Identify emotional and interpersonal aspects to attend to going forward.

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This emotional awareness and regulation group is a combination of bilateral stimulation, somatic tracking, emotion exploration, and mindfulness practices.